His Master's Voice
by Sabertooth Kitty
Summary: NEW DM 15- (Part II) Judas has come to realize the "bad dog" in him, thanks to Baron Greenback. Will Danger Mouse snap the pooch out of this hallucination? What will become of Butch? Who is this Angelino, and why is he hanging around the Baron's henchmen?


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His Master's Voice

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Rated PG for mild violence and angst.

I do not own any character already copyrighted to _Cosgrove Hall Films_. Every other character here, including Judas Franklin and Sabrina Panthera, are my characters, and should not be used without my permission.

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_Author's Notes:_ Here it is- the long-awaited Part II!

I'm sorry for leaving you guys with a cliffhanger last time, but I'm back with the conclusion to the two-part story.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go to the _Danger Mouse_ section of (under Cartoons) and find _The Dog in Wolf's Clothing_. That is the first part of this story, which you might need to read to get a better understanding.

Anyway… here we go! Enjoy!

* * *

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Ah… Ahem… where were we?

Isambod! The story!

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Hm?

The story! The story so far!!

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…Oh, oh, yes! Ahem…

The story so far… well, going back to the beginning, the agency got word of Baron Silas Greenback's newest henchman- a thug-for-hire by the name Butch R. Wolffe. Thankfully, the agency got to Butch before the Baron could, and now the crook is unconscious and under surveillance.

Meanwhile, Danger Mouse and Judas were called in to replace Butch. Judas was trained in the bare basics of espionage before being rushed off to Baron Greenback's hideout. Danger Mouse acted as the mediator between Judas and the agency, to further spy on the Baron's operations.

Everything was going according to plan until Stiletto, one of the Baron's henchmen, saw Judas out of his disguise. The pooch was knocked out and brought to Greenback for "guidance".

As it turns out, Danger Mouse had been given a lead on one of the Baron's missions. With Judas' discovery, the mission had been pushed ahead of schedule, leaving the agent puzzled and frustrated.

Soon enough, though, the White Wonder soon learned of what had happened to Judas: he had taken in Greenback's words of advice and crossed the aisle from being good to working for evil!

Will Danger Mouse be able to convince Judas to come back? Will Judas realize what a horrible mistake he's made? Will I ever get a raise in pay for all the nonsense I have to put up with on this job?? Will-

Okay, Isambod, that's fine.

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… Excuse me, what?

That'll be all now. We can start the show.

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Oh, yes… yes, of course…

* * *

All was quiet outside the First National Bank of London. People were talking, exchanges were being made, everything was up-to-snuff… basically, it was like any other day.

A black van pulled up to the front. A tall figure stepped out, waved to the van as it turned the corner, and entered the building. He stood there for a moment, then made his way around the room.

It wasn't long before people started to take notice. Some folks, especially the women, gathered together and whispered back and forth. Apparently, this guy was fairly popular.

Finally, a young boy stepped forward and approached the figure. "Excuse me, sir," he addressed. "Aren't you that Judas Franklin fellow? The oddball American that got kidnapped a few months ago?"

The figure- an anthro German Shepherd- smiled and knelt down to the boy's level. "Do I look kidnapped, kid?" he queried, rubbing his hand on the boy's head. "I'm fine- I've just been doing more extensive underground spy stuff. The newspapers are misinterpreting the whole thing."

For a moment, the crowd murmured, unsure of what to think. Just one look at the pooch's peaceful appearance, however, convinced them; he had to be doing well.

Sadly, that appearance had been a façade. He snapped his fingers, and a sudden jolt shook the building. After a moment or so, the quake died down, but that hadn't been the end of the scare.

Judas smirked, brushing all the items off a central table in the room and jumping up. "This is a hold-up," he growled. "Nobody moves until we're finished cleaning out the vault."

Quickly, the security guards reached for their handguns. The pooch responded by taking out his advanced Swiss army knife; every time a gun came up, a laser in the instrument either melted through it or caused the guard to drop it.

Once all the guns were down, Judas grabbed the young boy he had seen earlier and brought him up to the table. "Folks, you've just seen this laser cut through a gun like a knife through butter," he reminded, holding up the tool. "Do you _really_ wanna see what else it can destroy?"

Everyone in the room stepped back. It was clear by now what had **really** happened to Judas.

Of course, that didn't mean Judas wasn't a nice guy anymore. "Look, we're making this real easy for you," he informed. "All we want is the cash in the vault- you're lucky we aren't robbing you personally." He flipped up the tool and slipped it into his pocket. "Besides, I have no intention of hurting anyone… that is, if we can cooperate…"

Needless to say, none of that helped the captive innocents. They were still as scared as ever of Judas- they knew what he was capable of, and they were terrified of the consequences.

That was exactly what Judas had counted on. "Okay, guys, let's play a game," he chimed. "Simon says, put your hands in the air where I can see them."

All of the people- customers, tellers, guards, everyone- put their hands straight up in the air.

The pooch nodded. "Good, good- you're **much** better than the last bank we held up," he commented. "Now, Simon says, sit down on the ground."

Again, everyone complied and sat down, gazing up at their captor.

Smiling, Judas nodded again. "Very good," he complimented. "Now, get up and get out of here."

No one moved an inch.

Judas grinned. "Simon didn't say," he hissed, returning to a normal voice. "Again, I'm very impressed- the last couple of banks we went to weren't as sharp as you. Seriously, if I had a penny for every guy I-"

At that moment, a rhythmic tapping alerted Judas. "Oh, sorry, guys- we gotta run," he said, stepping down from the desk and approaching the door. "Before I go, though, I just have to do one more thing." He slapped a small device onto the security system panel and added, "This bomb is set to go off the minute someone opens a door or window, or operates a phone of any kind, within this building. Fortunately for you, it deactivates itself five minutes after activation, so by the time you all can safely get help, we're long gone."

The patrons of the bank huddled close to their loved ones- their family, friends, or coworkers. Everyone was too scared to move.

Then, Judas opened the door to step outside. "Have a nice day," he remarked as the van pulled up. The doors closed, and as he entered the vehicle he pressed a button on a small control device; the security bomb had been activated.

Closing the door beside him, Judas glanced at the driver. "Step on it," he snapped.

With that order, the van picked up speed and drove off…

* * *

Danger Mouse and Penfold sat quietly in a comfortable recreation room located somewhere in Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory. For the last few weeks, they had been going there in-between missions, always checking up with the scientists to see how they were going to handle the situation with Judas and Butch.

The television at the opposite end of the room had been turned down enough to be quiet, yet still audible. "We're here on the scene of the First National Bank of London," the newscaster reported. "Just an hour or so ago, this was the latest target Greenback's gang of hoodlums. They've quickly become the bane and terror of every bank in the United Kingdom, with over 7.5 billion pounds already in their possession. At this rate, by next weekend, all of England will be broke, with Wales and Scotland not far behind."

DM sighed heavily. "That's the 20th case this month," he muttered.

Penfold was just as confused. "I don't understand all this," he squeaked. "The Baron is already one of the world's richest criminals- why would he need any more money?"

"It's not the money he needs," the agent explained. "This is probably part of a bigger scheme- robbing the wealth of the world's greatest nations, then giving it back under the condition they make Greenback their ruler."

The young hamster gasped. "That rotter!"

The White Wonder nodded, sipping a cup of tea. "Once more," he added, "I'm afraid our old friend has been a part of most of those robberies, if not all of them."

A small whine escaped Penfold. Sadly, he had grown used to having Danger Mouse refer to Judas as "our old friend". He understood Judas to be a somewhat protective but nevertheless loving friend; only now did he see what else he was capable of.

Another short figure entered the room, a German mole by the name Professor Squawkencluck. "_Zorry_ to be keeping you _vaiting_," he apologized, sitting next to the agent and his assistant in a nearby chair. "_Zo_, did you come here for _un_ reason, perhaps?"

Danger Mouse was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Well," he began, "you've already told us that Judas seems to be suffering from a cloud of bad memories, and noted that the probable reason for his changed mind is 'getting back' at those who wronged him by making them suffer. What I want to know is this- how do we snap him out of it?"

The professor tilted his head. "Ah, _zhat vould _be difficult," he explained. "_Ze_ cure _iz zimple- _Judas needs to remember _ze_ good memories of _hiz_ past. _Ze _trouble _iz_ getting _zrough_ to him- _ze_ Baron _vould_ have Judas fully convinced of _hiz_ criminal nature, _zo _you _vould_ have to find him all by _himzelf. _He might _alzo_ put up a fight, _zo _it _vould_ be wise to come prepared to defend _yourzelf_ _und _to _reazon vith _him, _ja_?"

Nodding, DM turned to Penfold. "I hope you got all that," he whispered.

Apparently, Penfold's mind had been elsewhere; that whisper shook him from his daydreams. "Sorry, chief," he murmured. "What was that?"

The agent smiled and shook his head. "Nothing," he said.

At that moment, a young puma named Kitty Cougara stepped into the room, carrying a clipboard. "How are you gentlemen today?" she inquired.

His smile changing to a frown, Danger Mouse glanced up at Kitty. "Apart from pondering current events, we're fine," he replied, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, by the way, how has Butch been getting on?"

A small smile crossed Kitty's face. "He's doing well," she answered. "No facility will take him, sadly enough; he's stuck here, indefinitely."

Of course, DM was unsure of what to think. "He's still in that coma, isn't he?" he queried. "Why worry about it?"

Ms. Cougara pursed her lip slightly. "Well, he is showing signs of semi-consciousness, as if he's dreaming," she informed. "It's similar to what is happening in Judas' mind- if he ever comes out of this rebellious phase, everything during and preceding it will all seem like a dream to him."

Intrigued, the agent slipped into his thoughts. _If this really is a dream to Judas, _he pondered, _will he remember anything he actually did during this "phase"? Is that what Greenback has been using all these years- some type of deluded dream that eventually becomes reality? Hm… well, if that's the case, I'm going to have to find Judas before **he** starts living out his fantasy…  
  
_

* * *

Back within Greenback's hideout, the Baron's top henchmen were told to gather in his office. For the moment, only the top three were there, but two more were on their way.

A short Cockney crow sauntered down the hallway, flipping through his brand new comic book. He hummed a quiet tune to himself, passing a cloaked figure leaning against the wall.

The figure looked up, tilting his hat a little. "Ay, Leatherhead," he addressed the crow in a strange accent. "You wouldn't forget me, now would you?"

Leatherhead stopped, turning his head to see the figure more clearly. "Angelino?" he queried. "When did you get back? Didn't the Baron send you on 'holiday' globe-trotting?"

Angelino chuckled, removing his hat. He turned out to be an anthro fox, dressed in long dark clothes to help conceal his identity. "I came back to check on our current operations," he answered. "I understand the White Wonder's former pooch pal is now one of us."

"You got that right," Leatherhead responded, continuing down the hallway with Angelino beside him. "Seriously, though- why are you up here?"

A smirk crossed Angelino's snout. "Let's just say I want a piece of the action," he replied. "Besides, it's been a while since I last saw Stiletto."

Laughing, Leatherhead flipped another page in his comic book. "Let's hope you caught him in a good mood," he remarked. "Stiletto never did take a liking to you."

The fox put his hat back on. "Just as well," he commented as the two henchmen approached the Baron's office. "We have a mutual respected hate for each other; it entertains me as much as it delights him."

As soon as the doors opened, the first sound the two henchmen heard was laughter- loud, gleeful laughter. Whatever the latest scheme was, chances are it was going over **very** well.

Stepping inside, Leatherhead and Angelino quickly recognized the small crowd of people. Baron Greenback was seated at his usual place, at his desk with his pet caterpillar Nero, and gathered around him were his top three henchmen- Stiletto, Sabrina, and Judas.

It didn't take very long for Greenback to spot his two guests waiting at the door. "Leatherhead, why are you late?" he snapped, pointing to a computer in the corner. "I want you to take all of the stolen currency into account. It should be simple enough. Now, get to work!"

The English crow groaned, trudging over to the computer. He was thankful that the Baron usually only asked menial tasks of him, but still he would have rather done no work at all.

Again, Angelino removed his hat. "It's been a while since I've seen you in person," he addressed the Baron. "Over the years, you've reduced me to getting orders via radio, telegrams, messengers, and other transmissions." He slammed his hands on the desk, staring straight into the eyes of the apathetic crime-lord. "What's wrong- can't trust old Angelino?"

"I see no reason for you to be upset," Baron Greenback growled. "You're still working for me - that ought to be enough for you."

Apparently, Angelino had to be a little clearer with his choice of words. "I've been pushed out of your inner circle," he explained, sweeping his hand towards the other three henchmen, "and replaced with these juveniles!"

Greenback remained composed. "Stiletto is not that much younger than you, and if I recall you were the one to suggest him to me," he reminded. "Sabrina was an opportunity that came up too quickly; I needed to hire her then if I wanted her at all." He paused briefly. "As for Judas, he was practically handed to me by the British agency- you know I simply couldn't turn that down."

Surprisingly, none of the henchmen were affected by those comments. They had come to accept themselves, quite literally, as property to the Baron.

With a heavy sigh, Angelino leaned in closer this time. "I want in on this scheme," he hissed. "Why you're giving these three a fraction of the profit I have no idea, but like you I cannot pass up an opportunity."

It was Stiletto who would be the first to answer this query. _"This is our business, Angelino,"_ he spat in his fluent Italian tongue. _"Why you somehow think you should be a part of it is clearly beyond us all, but you should really think twice before sticking your snout in places it doesn't belong."_

Sabrina scowled. "Why is **our** business suddenly **yours**, anyway?" she snapped. "Just because we happened to get on the Baron's good side and stay there doesn't mean you have to get all upset about it."

Even Judas had something to add. "Just accept facts, dude," he commented. "You're still a part of the crew- you're just not as instrumental as we are. I'm sure there's a place for you somewhere…"

All the while, Baron Greenback sat there in great pleasure. "It seems as if the mob has spoken," he remarked. "I suggest you take your leave, Angelino, before I have you… _escorted_ out."

Infuriated, Angelino hid his angered and embarrassed face with his hat once more. "Fine," he growled, stepping out. "Don't think you've heard the last of me… just you wait…"

After the fox had left, Greenback turned to Leatherhead. "What's the account so far?" he asked.

Quickly, Leatherhead skimmed through the numbers before answering. "Let's see," he murmured. "A little over 7.9 billion pounds, if I'm not mistaken."

The Baron smiled. "Excellent," he replied, "and excluding the fabulous riches of the royal family, there should be an even 10 billion pounds in all of the United Kingdom. Once I've gained control here, I can take my empire to the mainland and beyond!"

A small smirk crossed Judas' face. "Great," he muttered. "All we need now is the rest of the cash…"

* * *

Another late evening came to Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory. Yet again, most of the scientists had gone home for the evening, and yet the same night owl remained (not counting the owl that lived in a tree just outside the lab exit).

Kitty Cougara finished filing her last health report for the evening. All she needed to do now was give Butch another dose of the sleeping toxin and hook him up to the life support system. She had grown used to the solitude of his room at night; apart from a few scares, the patient had been very peaceful and quiet.

As she got out the fluids to prepare the toxin, Kitty glanced at Butch out of the corner of her eye. She remembered how that very face used to frighten her so that every bone in her body trembled. Now she had almost grown to feel… sorry for him.

A smile crossed Butch's face again, and not only did Ms. Cougara not take notice, but even if she had she wouldn't have cared. This also became commonplace, and her explanation for it was his stressed muscles. He hadn't been out of that bed in about a month, so naturally he wasn't getting the exercise his body had grown used to.

Quietly, Kitty hummed a tune to herself as she filled a sterile syringe with the sleeping toxin and approached the bed. She looked down at his smiling face, and in turn smiled back. "If only you weren't so dangerous when awake," she sighed, "you might have turned out to be a nice boy."

"Thanks, Angel-Face."

Surprised, Kitty dropped the syringe. He spoke, again, and this time she was absolutely sure he had heard her.

Butch frowned slightly. "What's wrong, Angel-Face?" he queried.

Although still nervous, Kitty swallowed her fear and responded, "You… you… you heard me. You heard me! I thought you were unconscious, or at least semi-conscious!"

The black-furred German Shepherd smiled. "Yeah, I heard you," he replied. "I still can't see you or anything- I tried opening my eyes, but I can't see a thing. Plus, I don't think my sniffer's working all that well, either."

Concerned, Kitty grabbed a few check-up tools from the shelf and took a quick look at his eyes and nose. "That's odd," she commented. "By medical standards, you should be able to see and smell; everything's in working order."

With a heavy sigh, Butch relaxed into his bed. "Just as well, I guess," he admitted. "You probably want me asleep anyway- that and death are the only two things that keep me from being _dangerous_, as you put it."

The lady puma slowly approached the examination table, filling another sterile syringe full of sleeping toxins. "We want to keep you alive," she assured. "We just don't want you hurting yourself, even if you don't escape the authorities."

Laughing, Butch tilted his head a little, in an effort to shake his head. "Well, that's a good one," he remarked. "Okay then- drug me up, baby."

As Kitty approached the bedside again with the full syringe, a question came to mind. "If you don't mind me asking," she said, "why did you call me Angel-Face? You can't even see me."

"Don't matter," Butch answered. "I heard your voice, and even though I knew you couldn't be an angel, you still sounded pretty convincing."

Smiling, Kitty let a solitary tear drop down her face. "Thank you," she whispered, gently taking the pooch's arm. "Hold still now…"

Butch winced a little from the pain of the needle, but again quickly relaxed. "Yeah, that's the stuff," he yawned. "See you later, Angel-Face." Once more, he drifted off into unconsciousness.

Kitty took a moment to think while she started setting up the life support equipment. She couldn't help but wonder… was she doing the right thing? She was following orders from HQ and Professor Squawkencluck, but did that justify anything she was doing?

Finally, after all the life support systems were hooked up and fully operational, Kitty turned off the light and locked the door as she left. _Perhaps I should bring this up with Professor Squawkencluck_, she pondered. _Or… maybe Colonel K? No, that won't do… what about… yes, that might work…I'll make an appointment with the agent tomorrow morning… I do hope he isn't busy- this is a very serious matter…  
_

* * *

The next morning, Danger Mouse awoke very early. He sat in the parlor, fully dressed and sipping a fresh cup of tea, and glanced at the clock. "6:30 AM?" he murmured. "Good grief- I don't know if I can stand this." He yawned. "Still, I'm glad I was able to catch up on all the sleep I missed a few weeks ago. I haven't felt this invigorated since-"

Suddenly, the phone rang. Curious, the agent leaned over and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

A familiar voice was on the line. "Danger Mouse?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

Smiling, DM leaned back onto the couch. "Ms. Cougara?" he guessed. "What are you doing up this early?"

Kitty chuckled lightly. "I'm very sorry if I disturbed you," she apologized. "I haven't really slept much tonight, and I was hoping you were up so that we could talk."

Concerned, Danger Mouse lowered his voice. "About what, if I may ask?" he inquired. "Could you tell me, or would you rather carry on this conversation in person?"

Just the same, Kitty was still a tad nervous. "Could we?" she asked.

DM nodded. "Of course," he answered. "I don't mind. I haven't had very many missions lately, apart from the string of mass robberies. If I do need to leave, rest assured we could carry it on another time."

Needless to say, Ms. Cougara was more than relieved. "Thank you," she replied. "Perhaps we could meet at the _Tiger Tavern_?"

"Capital," the agent agreed. "Shall we meet in a few hours? We might as well have a decent meal as long as we're up."

The puma laughed again. "Sure," she chimed. "I'll see you in a few hours."

The White Wonder quieted himself suddenly. "Right, then," he mumbled, pausing for a moment. "And, Ms. Cougara?"

"Yes, Danger Mouse?"

"Take care of yourself," the agent advised.

Although he couldn't see it, DM could tell that Kitty was smiling on the other end of the line. "Right," she responded. "I'll see you soon."

Danger Mouse put the phone receiver back on the handle; he stood and walked down the hall to his private bathroom. _Well, I'll have to look presentable, _he pondered. _I wouldn't want to disappoint the young lady…  
_

* * *

Meanwhile, Judas sat brooding in the darkened garage of Baron Greenback's hideout. He seated himself at a lone workbench, polishing a huge shiny gun with an oil-covered rag. He could have cared less whether he was doing a good job or not; he just needed something for his hands to do, to keep them busy while his mind wandered.

The door at the far end of the room opened, and the lights switched on as two figures stepped inside- namely, Stiletto and Sabrina. They glanced at Judas, who at first didn't seem to notice them. As they made their way down the steps, it was clear that he had known otherwise.

Judas smirked, standing from the workbench. "About time you two showed up," he remarked. "While you two were still sleeping, I got up early and made some repairs on the getaway van, and a few on the _Frog's Head Flyer_. I had to start doing chores around here until you got down here."

The two other henchmen were silent for a moment. They gave him a curious look, then looked at each other, and finally back at him.

Of course, Judas didn't see why they were so confused; he had his own ideas. "Well, come on," he pressed, walking over to the van at the other end of the garage. "Let's go- we haven't got all day."

It was Sabrina who first replied. "Go where?" she queried.

The pooch cocked his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?" he spat. "We have another major bank to rob, and this one has the remaining 2.1 billion pounds in its possession." He grabbed a couple of boxes and loaded them into the van. "Of course, the place will be heavily guarded, so I'm bringing along a few explosives."

Shocked, Stiletto grabbed one of the boxes. "What-a you doing??" he questioned. "These are-a for biggest job, at-a Fort Knox!"

"Do I look like I care?" Judas snapped, taking the box back. "Look, we're holding on to the rest of the boxes. We just need a couple to distract, or even get rid of, some of the guards."

Quickly, Sabrina intervened. "Judas, hold on," she growled. "Just what exactly were you thinking? The least you could have done was tell us you were planning this."

Laughing, Judas closed the van door and turned around. "What, and ruin the surprise?" he joked. "Seriously? I thought of it last night before I went to bed, and I planned it while I was doing the chores." He slapped his head and gasped. "Shoot- I almost forgot!"

Stiletto and Sabrina watched Judas as he wandered over to the workbench. He left his advanced Swiss army knife on the table and reached for a more suitable weapon- a lightweight laser gun.

Judas grinned, fondling his new toy. "Yes," he murmured, "this will do just fine…"

* * *

Some time later, Danger Mouse stood outside the _Tiger Tavern_, an agency-owned pub just a few blocks away from HQ. He dressed in a more casual outfit- a light sweater and trousers- so that he didn't stand out in the crowd.

A bus stopped at the opposite end of the street; Kitty Cougara stepped off approached the agent. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said with an awkward smile. "I left my purse at home, so I went back and had to wait for the next bus."

DM smiled, shaking Kitty's hand. "That's quite alright," he assured, gesturing to one of the small tables outside the tavern. "Please, sit."

With a simple nod, Kitty seated herself at the table. "Thank you," she responded with a light yawn. "I need to talk to you… well, not specifically **you**, but I needed to talk to someone."

Clearly, Danger Mouse could see that this was a deep concern. "Ah," he sighed. "Well, are you sure this isn't something you could talk to Professor Squawkencluck about?"

Kitty bit her lip in anxiety. "Well, it's not really that simple," she explained. "I work too closely with the professor; he would know right away what I'm talking about. With you, I… well, I don't really know how to say it, but… I can-"

"Be more open about it?" DM guessed. "I understand- you don't want to start an argument. You just want a little… indirect advice, am I correct?"

Needless to say, Kitty was somewhat surprised, but also more relieved. "Yes," she replied. "You're very intuitive, aren't you?"

Before the agent could reply, their waiter- an anthro dove- came over to them. "Welcome to the _Tiger Tavern_," he greeted in a slight French accent. "What will you be having today?" He paused briefly, glancing at the agent. "Sir, might I suggest the scones? Very fresh today."

Shrugging, DM nodded. "Alright then," he answered. "That, a spot of green tea for myself, and…" He looked over at Kitty. "What are you having?"

The puma yawned. "Coffee," she responded. "Regular, please- I need a little pick-me-up this morning."

The waiter checked over his list quickly. "Let me see," he murmured. "One green tea for the gentleman, one regular coffee for the lady, and a plate of scones. I'll be back shortly with your order."

As the waiter made his way back inside, Danger Mouse continued his conversation with the scientist. "So, what seems to be the trouble?" he inquired.

With a deep breath, Kitty made an attempt to explain herself. "Oh my goodness," she said. "I wish there was an easy way to explain this."

The agent lightly touched the puma's hand. "Take your time," he advised. "Whatever it is you're worried about, don't let it bother you so much, at least enough for you to gather your thoughts."

That said, Kitty lowered her head in thought. _Well, I can't just come out and tell him, "should I let Butch off?" He wouldn't condone that at all! So… how do I explain it to him? Hm… maybe if I… no, that wouldn't work. How about… oh, drat, that won't do it either!_

Kitty groaned in frustration, letting her head hit the café table. _No one ever tells you that becoming a scientist has so many ethics issues attached!!_

Of course, Danger Mouse had very little idea what was really going on. "Apparently, this is going to be more difficult than what I first realized," he murmured, then addressing Kitty. "If I may offer a word of advice, Ms. Cougara?"

Curious, Kitty looked up from the table. "Hm?" she whined.

DM leaned in, staring straight at Kitty. "Listen," he began. "Whatever it is you're struggling with, it seems as if you have a few inner conflicts. If those conflicts outweigh what you are trying to ask me about, then chances are you shouldn't involve yourself in it."

Just the same, Kitty was still a bit tired from that morning. "Come again?" she queried.

Shaking his head, the agent could tell that he might need to clarify a few things. "If you really have that many doubts, do you really think you should go through with the topic in question?" he questioned.

The puma was a tad surprised. _How could I have missed that? _She pondered. _If letting Butch go means putting more people in danger, then why should I let him off? Oh, it was **so** simple!_

At that moment, a loud explosion interrupted the conversation. Just a few blocks down the road, another major bank in London had one of the walls blown off. Another robbery, and this could have been a major crisis!

Quickly, Danger Mouse turned to Kitty. "I apologize- I need to run," he said sheepishly, his speech becoming quicker as he wandered off. "Could you pick up the check, miss? I'll make up the difference! Thank you!"

As DM ran off in the direction of the bank, Kitty sighed heavily and slumped in her chair. _Well, that was productive,_ she thought. _Still… I can't help but wonder…  
_

* * *

A few blocks down the street, a black van was parked near a large hole in the back wall of yet another London bank. This was the last major bank that needed cleaning out; after this came the big heist at Fort Knox.

Judas paced back and forth beside the van as Stiletto and Sabrina tossed all the bags of money into the back. He was quickly growing impatient- that explosion could be heard for miles around, and he knew it. If they didn't move fast, they'd be caught for sure! "What's taking you??" he snapped.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Shut your trap, pooch," she hissed. "These bags are heavy. Besides, we only have one left; if you think you can do it quicker, why don't you go get it?"

Growling, Judas huffed into the nearly empty vault (save the bag). _Morons,_ he thought, picking up the last bag of money. _I could have cleaned this vault out all by my lonesome in half the time they took…_

"Freeze!"

The pooch pricked his ears. That voice seemed familiar to him.

Slowly, Stiletto and Sabrina raised their hands. For now, they would cooperate, but sooner or later they'd get out of this predicament.

After a moment, Judas poked his head out of the hole. He soon spotted Danger Mouse, in more casual attire than usual, but nevertheless a threat to the henchmen. "Back away from the van," he advised, pushing a few buttons on the wristwatch. "I'm locking the police in on my coordinates; they should be here shortly."

Then, Judas made his move; he stepped out quietly. "DM," he addressed, somewhat coldly.

The agent stared at the German Shepherd, partially puzzled. "Judas," he murmured.

Giving his former mentor the cold shoulder, Judas turned to the other two henchmen. "Let's go," he said with the snap of his fingers. "We gotta get moving if we wanna avoid the police."

"Judas, I'm not letting you leave with that money," DM interjected. "What you are doing here is killing the economy of a hard-working country, a serious felony ten times over. I don't know why you even want to do this, but I will not let you get away with it."

Judas halted, then turned back around to face the White Wonder. "Let me pretend, for a moment, that I care," he spat, suddenly showing a look of utter grief and concern. That face soon faded five seconds later, and he continued, "There. Hope you're happy."

Danger Mouse sighed. "Fine then," he hissed. "If you won't stop for me, then I'll simply make you by coming after you and taking you in myself."

A dangerous grin crossed Judas' face. "I'd like to see you try," he taunted as he and the other henchmen hopped into the van. "Step on it!"

Suddenly, the van roared to life. It made a quick sharp turn and sped out of the alleyway, seemingly to leave the agent in the dust.

Of course, they hadn't quite left DM behind. Quickly, he pressed a button on his wristwatch, extending a long metallic wire with claws at the end. The claws grabbed hold of the rear bumper of the van, and thus pulled him along as he inched his way closer.

Meanwhile, Judas took a load off in the back seat; a self-satisfied grin crossed his face. "We did it, guys," he said. "The major wealth of England is now ours. All we have to do is report in to the Baron, and we're off to Fort Knox!"

It was then that Stiletto noticed something in the rear-view mirror. "Eh, pooch," he commented. "Danger Mouse- he is-a following us!"

Startled, Judas peeked at the rear-view mirror. "Huh, so he is," he muttered, approaching the side door of the van. "You two keep driving; I'm gonna keep an eye on our buddy."

As the side door of the van burst open, the vehicle shook and rattled a little. Judas grabbed the side of the van and crawled along, while Stiletto kept his eye on the road and Sabrina dropped her jaw in shock. "Is he nuts or something?" she questioned.

"Ah, let-a him go," Stiletto remarked. "Is brave… stupid, but brave."

Desperate to get further up from the road just a few inches beneath his feet, Judas waited for the van to tilt. He shifted his weight forward and up onto the top of the van. "That was close," he gasped. "Too close."

A familiar figure cast his shadow over the pooch. "Judas," he addressed, "listen to me. Do you even realize what you're doing?"

Judas smirked, pushing himself up. "Yeah, I do," he replied, staring at Danger Mouse with a casual smirk. "Why else do you think I'm here?"

With a heavy sigh, DM gazed deeply into Judas' eyes. "I'm only going to tell you this one more time," he murmured. "Stop what you're doing- I'd rather not hurt you, but I will if I have to."

The German Shepherd grinned. "Go ahead," he taunted, gesturing with his fingers. "There's nothing stopping you. Come on- let's do this."

At that moment, the van stumbled over a roadblock. The agent and the henchman fall back onto the hood, gripping the sides to stay on. However, something else had occurred- the back doors of the van swung open…

Shocked, Judas scrambled to the back of the van. "Gah, the money!" he cried. "No! I can't let it go!"

Quickly, Danger Mouse grabbed the pooch by the neck. "This is you last chance," he warned. "Give… up… **now!**"

Needless to say, this whole fiasco was getting on Judas' nerves. "What the heck is wrong with you??" he snapped. "I don't care anymore!"

To say the least, DM was stunned. He would have figured Judas would have snapped out of his hallucination by now, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Growling, Judas glared vengefully at the agent. "None of this matters to me anymore," he hissed. "I hate the agency, I hate the world… and most of all…" He flipped himself over the hood of the van and into the back hatch, as Danger Mouse lost his grip and tumbled into the dust. "I hate you!"

The van drove off. By the time DM was able to pick himself up, the vehicle was long gone. Once more, he had no idea where Judas and the others were off to. _Well, it seems as if things have gone from **bad** to **worse**…_

Suddenly, an object at the agent's feet caught his attention. It was a briefcase. "Good grief," he muttered, opening the case to reveal a very interesting (and valuable) find…

* * *

Back at Greenback's hideout, the three henchmen waited quietly inside the Baron's office. Stiletto stared aimlessly into space, Sabrina filed her nails, and Judas took a well-deserved nap on the couch.

After a moment or two, Baron Greenback finally addressed his henchmen. "I see that you went back into London to claim the last portion of England's wealth," he commented. "I suppose I should commend you on your efforts, but that generally isn't my policy."

Nero, the Baron's pet caterpillar, replied happily with a bubbly buzzing noise.

Judas opened his eyes. "Hey, we got all the money," he informed. "The least you could do is pay us a small fee as a reward."

Greenback chuckled. "Now, why would I do that?" he queried. "You were simply doing your job- I don't see why I should pay you more than I already do."

At that moment, a familiar figure entered the room. "Enjoying your break?" he growled.

Stiletto glanced at the figure out of the corner of his eye. "Angelino," he said with a heavy sigh.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she snapped.

Angelino tilted his hat, to hide his partially reddened face. "I didn't come to speak with you," he hissed, approaching the Terrible Toad's desk. "Baron Greenback…"

Before Angelino could continue, the Baron gestured for him to be quiet. "We have already been through this," he remarked, "and the answer is still 'no'."

The fox closed his eyes lightly and turned away. "Alright, then," he sighed. "I suppose, then, you don't want to know what horrible mistake your henchmen made."

Suddenly, every head in the room turned to Angelino. What was he getting at? The heist went off without a hitch, at least as far as they knew.

Smiling, Angelino circled the room like a hungry wolf. "I'm sure your henchmen have told you that with the money they stole, the total amount of stolen money should come to the 10 billion pounds you requested," he explained. "However, what they failed to do was actually count the money they had stolen."

"We don't need to count it," Judas scoffed. "We already did, at the bank. It's all there!"

A deep chuckle escaped Angelino. "You would think so, wouldn't you?" he hinted. "I took the liberty of counting the funds myself, and the total comes out to a mere 9.9 billion pounds."

The other henchmen went pale with shock. They had been so careful…

Of course, Baron Greenback was the most upset. "What??" he cried out in his hoarse voice. "I cannot believe this! I trusted you buffoons with that fortune! Who knows what's happened to it!"

Judas snarled as he stood and left the room. _Something tells me I already have a good idea of what happened to it…  
_

* * *

Danger Mouse stood quietly before the viewscreen. He had contacted Colonel K just moments ago, concerning the matter of the stolen money. Perhaps hope was not yet lost for Great Britain…

Colonel K coughed. "So, Danger Mouse," he addressed, "how much did you say the suitcase contained?"

"I'll know in a moment, Colonel," DM answered, turning his head. "How much do we have, Penfold?"

Penfold sat on the couch, counting the last of the money in the suitcase. "Almost done, chief!" he assured. "99,999,700… 99,999,800… 99,999,900…" He gasped in disbelief. "Crumbs! Chief, there's 100 million pounds here!"

To say the least, the colonel was shocked. "Good heavens!" he cried. "Do you know what this means, Danger Mouse?"

The agent smiled a little. "That I have the last of England's currency in my possession?" he guessed.

The colonel banged his fist on the table, making the phone (and everything else) jump. "Exactly!" he responded. "Keep a close eye on it, DM- we wouldn't want the financial future of Great Britain falling into the wrong hands!"

The White Wonder nodded. "Yes, colonel," he replied.

As the viewscreen flickered off, Danger Mouse walked over to the couch. "Let's put this in a safe place," he murmured, taking the briefcase and walking down the hallway. "After the last incident, we can't afford to take chances."

It was then that DM's eye was drawn to something in a nearby room. Curious, he peeked inside; it was Judas' room, untouched since the pooch had left on his original mission. The computer was still on, and according to an icon on the screen, he had new mail.

An idea came to the agent. He set the briefcase on the bed, sat down at the computer, and opened up a few web pages. "It's time I did something about Judas," he muttered, typing in a message. "He's coming back to the agency, whether he wants to or not…"

* * *

Later that evening, Kitty Cougara busied herself in the lab. She took full confidence in Danger Mouse's advice; he always was the intuitive one.

As always, Kitty was working in the clinic where Butch had been placed. She had almost forgotten the incident from the night before, and even then she was sure it wouldn't happen again.

The puma looked out an open window; the sun was setting. She always loved watching a nice cool sunset at the end of the day, though her job often kept her from enjoying this childhood pleasure. Still, she could always glance every now and then…

"Is the sun setting?"

A cold shiver went down Kitty's spine. She slowly turned around; Butch's eyes were wide open. "Well, is it setting?" he repeated.

Swallowing hard, Kitty turned around, her back against the wall. "Why do you ask?" she squeaked.

Butch shrugged a little. "I can't tell," he answered. "I still can't see… well, I can kinda see, but not that well. It feels like it's getting kinda cooler, and the lights are dimming a little…" He chuckled, adding, "Hey, maybe I'm dying."

Her shock quickly turning to fear, Kitty ran over to the bed. She grabbed Butch's wrist and checked his pulse. "Are you breathing okay?" she asked. "If you feel sick or anything-"

The German Shepherd laughed. "Relax," he said. "It was just a joke, Angel-Face." He squinted his eyes a little. "You look like some type of cat. Am I right or what?"

Kitty smiled. "Actually, I am a cougar," she responded. "My name is Kitty."

Smiling, Butch let a heaved sigh escape him. "Kitty," he murmured. "That's a pretty name for a gal like you."

Flattered with the compliment, Kitty blushed and covered her face. She had no idea Butch was so… nice. Was this the same guy the agency was talking about?

After a moment, Butch gazed up at Kitty. "You never told me why I'm here," he informed.

Again, Kitty had to swallow her fear. "Well," she began, "Butch… you're a master criminal. We can't put you in an ordinary prison cell; even if you couldn't escape, you'd hurt yourself. We just want to keep you alive and under surveillance."

A frown crossed Butch's face. "So, basically, I have to sleep for the rest of my life?" he assumed. "I just sit in this bed while all my food, if you could call it that, is fed to me through IV fluids. Plus, I have to take drugs to stay asleep- that can't be good for me in the long run. I can't walk, I can't stand or sit… I can barely see, hear, or even move my limbs."

The cougar was speechless. She hadn't considered the long-term effects of Butch's stay. Realistically, he couldn't stay on life support forever, but even after being taken off the program, Butch could possibly gain some life-long problems.

These new facts surprised Kitty, and she shook free from those thought. _No, no, that can't be true,_ she pondered. _Butch is a criminal- he's getting exactly what he deserves. After all this is done and over with, he'll be locked away for so long he'll…_

Yet another thought came to the scientist. _Actually, the prison system has been a bit generous with today's criminals,_ she remembered. _Well, just the same, there's no way Butch could possibly develop long-term problems due to the life support. That's just absurd._

Butch smiled a little. "You know, I used to think I'd spend my senior years in prison, living the good life," he remarked, that smile soon fading. "I guess I'm gonna spend my final days the way most old folks do- in a bed, hooked up to machines and medicine, with a medical staff telling me they're gonna keep me alive…" He snorted, adding, "Some life."

Kitty cringed slightly at that remark as she filled a syringe with more sleeping fluids. _Great, _she thought. **_More _**_for me to think about…  
_

* * *

Another week or so passed. Danger Mouse kept a close eye on the case of 100 million pounds in his closet, while he and Penfold did a little research on Judas. They contacted just about everyone in his online address book. Of course, not all of them were happy to hear the news about Judas (his family included), but nevertheless they had gained quite a bit of information on the pooch and his life before the agency.

At Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory, Kitty struggled with her own problems. Here she was, keeping a masterful criminal under sedation- the only way to preserve his life before he could be properly given a prison term and a trial… but was it proper? Was it ethical? Was it right?

Needless to say, things were not going so smoothly in Baron Greenback's hideout. The Baron was so furious over the loss of the 100 million pounds; his whole operation had come to a grinding halt because of it! There was also the matter of employee relations…

* * *

A broad grin crossed Angelino's face as he stood at the end of the hallway, plotting his next scheme. So far, everything was going as he would have expected it to be. Since that large sum of money fell out of Greenback's hands, it had been easy to manipulate them all.

After a moment or two, Judas sauntered down the hall. He and the other henchmen were working on a large explosive that could blow a huge hole in Fort Knox. Now all they needed was that remaining money; once they had all of England's money and cleaned out Fort Knox, they could be one step closer to world domination.

The fox turned his head and gestured to Judas. "Over here, mutt," he whispered.

Perplexed, Judas walked over to Angelino. "What is it?" he asked.

Lifting his hat to reveal his fur-covered face, Angelino faced Judas. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he began, "but you seem like the type of dog that fancies pretty ladies."

Judas scoffed, leaning against the wall. "Well, I'm certainly not going after the ugly ones," he commented. "Why?"

Angelino shrugged lightly. "No reason," he assured. "It's just that… well, you're always brooding. A woman would lighten your mood considerably, and she could even help you with your plans."

The German Shepherd chuckled. "Thanks, but no thanks," he replied. "I've got no time for women or dating."

The anticipant henchfox grinned. "Who said anything about dating?" he questioned.

It was then that Sabrina strolled down the hallway. She hummed a tune to herself, swinging a jacket over her shoulder and passing by the other two henchmen. She never even noticed them.

Fighting to keep his excitement concealed, Angelino turned back to Judas. "She's already a dark conspirator, much like you," he informed. "You should go ahead and take her- she isn't taken yet, and I'm sure she won't mind."

Although he knew Stiletto's feelings about Sabrina, Judas knew that Angelino was right. When he was pretending to be Butch, she was making occasional passes at him. Technically, he was still the same dog, only without the black fur and eye-scar.

A small smile appeared on the pooch's face. "Okay, I'll do it," he murmured, continuing his walk down the hallway. "Thanks, Angelino."

The fox showed a toothy grin as he slipped his hat back on. "No problem, Judas…"

* * *

At the secret flat in the Mayfare pillar-box, Penfold wandered about the hallways, carrying a feather duster and humming quietly to himself. He had long since noticed the eerie silence settling over the place; not much had happened since Judas' conversion.

Then, something caught the hamster's eye. The door to the pooch's room swung open just slightly. Inside, past all the clutter and free-roaming dust bunnies, the computer screen was blinking.

Naturally, this puzzled Penfold. "How peculiar," he mumbled, turning his head towards the parlor. "DM! Come quick! I think I've found something!"

Surprised, Danger Mouse made his way down the hall and approached the bedroom. "What is it, Penfold?" he inquired.

Penfold opened the door a little more and pointed to the computer. The screen was flashing the message "**New Mail has Arrived!**"

Smiling, the agent walked over to the computer and took a seat at the console. "Now we're getting somewhere," he said as he began his work at the pooch's computer…

* * *

Meanwhile, Stiletto was making some minor adjustments to the giant explosive device. Just a few more wires to connect, and she'd be ready to go.

As he scooted out from under the machine, Stiletto noticed the only other figures in the room with him. Sabrina was leaning against the wall, gripping herself to keep warm in the cold basement garage (despite her black hooded jacket). Judas was seated at the foot of the stairwell, staring in Sabrina's direction.

Sabrina glanced at Stiletto as he stood up. "Great, you're done," she remarked. "Listen, I'm going out tonight. You wanna come with?"

The henchcrow nodded meekly. He always appreciated Sabrina's thoughtfulness on his part; it was nice to know that someone in this harsh operation cared about him.

At that moment, Judas stood and approached Stiletto. "Hey, dude, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

Nodding, Stiletto gestured to Sabrina. She understood the message perfectly; she'd wait upstairs until they were done.

Once Sabrina was gone, Judas stared right at Stiletto. "We've got a little problem," he muttered. "You, Sabrina, and I- we make up a great trio. However, there's only one girl between the two of us."

Suddenly, Stiletto knew where this was going. He straightened himself and curled his hands lightly into fists, just in case.

Noticing this, Judas took a step back. "Woah, wait!" he shouted. "Hold on, pal! Let me finish!"

Reluctantly, Stiletto lowered his guard. He still didn't like what he assumed was going on, but nevertheless he calmed down. Hopefully things weren't as bad as he thought them to be.

Judas sighed. "Thank you," he replied. "Now, here's what I'm thinking- you have this crush on Sabrina, right? Well, I need a girlfriend, but not a long-term one. I'm assuming that you want Sabrina for the long haul, right?"

Stiletto cocked his eyebrows and nodded slowly. What was this pooch up to?

Smiling, Judas lowered his head. "I'm glad we're on the same page," he commented as he began to circle the henchcrow. "Here's my idea- I'll take her out for a couple of weeks, warm her up to the whole boyfriend thing. Then, you can have her when I'm done; she'll be so heart-broken, she'll be putty in your hands."

For a moment, Stiletto remained motionless. He still had an angered expression on his face, but he hadn't moved one inch.

Of course, this display was somewhat unnerving for Judas. "So," he concluded, "what do you say?" He held out his hand in a businessman gesture. "Do we have a deal?"

Then, without warning, Stiletto leaned back with his hand curled into a tightly-bound fist and hit the pooch square in the jaw. As far as he was concerned, Sabrina deserved better than that; besides, he wasn't about to let Judas have her even for a second!

The German Shepherd recoiled in pain, holding onto the sore area of his jaw. He glared at the Italian crow out of the corner of his eye. "You ungrateful idiot," he growled. "Fine- we'll have it your way…"

* * *

Sabrina sighed heavily as she paced back and forth upstairs. "This is taking longer than I thought it would," she muttered. "Either those two are having a heart-to-heart breakthrough conversation, or they're beating each other to a pulp."

A cold chill ran down the feline's spine. Something was wrong…

Warily, Sabrina reached for the doorknob and opened the door. A flurry of noises immediately caught her attention- scuffling shoes, various items hitting the floors and walls, screams of anger and pain.

Worried, Sabrina ran down the stairwell to the main floor of the garage. She darted around, looking for any sign of Stiletto or Judas. "Stupid men," she snapped. "I just hope those two are okay."

Suddenly, a hand reached out and touched Sabrina's shoulder. "Stupid men, huh?" a familiar voice remarked. "Well, love makes idiots of us all."

Her ears folded back in sheer disgust, Sabrina turned around and glared at the boy behind her. "Judas," she hissed.

Judas turned away, ignoring Sabrina's clearly ticked-off expression. "If that's the way you're gonna treat me, then fine," he spat, walking away. "There's plenty more girls where you came from."

Of course, that remark did little to explain the situation to Sabrina. What on earth was that pooch talking about?

Then, Sabrina noticed something crushed beneath her shoe. "What the," she murmured, picking up a wad of squashed cloth. "This is Stiletto's hat…"

An idea came to Sabrina's mind. She followed the trail of debris, over the piles and through the machines, until she found a disturbing scene. A tall stack of boxes had collapsed, leaving tools and other usable parts everywhere. She was more concerned, however, with something else…

"Stiletto!" Sabrina cried, running over and tossing all the boxes aside. "Stiletto! What happened?? Are you okay??"

Indeed, the henchcrow had been laying semi-conscious under the pile of boxes. He had a nasty bump on the head, with a few flesh wounds and a patch of feathers missing here and there, but otherwise… well, actually, he could have been better.

Sabrina fought to hold back a few stray tears as she hugged her battered friend. _That's it, _she thought. _I've had enough of that pooch- Judas has got to go…  
_

* * *

Frustrated, Judas stormed down the hallway. "Those ungrateful jerks!" he snapped. "It was practically a win-win situation! How could they-"

It was then that Judas noticed something. He approached the doorway to his room and peeked inside; a message was flashing on his computer screen.

Curious, Judas sat down at the computer and read the message**. "I have what you really need**," he read aloud**. "Meet me in Hyde Park at 6:00 this evening**…" He smirked and said, "Well, who am I to turn down an offer like that?"

As Judas left the room and hurried downstairs, Angelino stepped out from behind a nearby corner. "I can't believe how well all this is playing into my hands," he chuckled. "Even Danger Mouse himself is playing into my paws!"

Another voice interrupted Angelino's self-gratifying comment. "Save your breath, fox. There's something I need you to do…"

* * *

A few hours later, a white mouse with an eye-patch leaned against his yellow car in the middle of Hyde Park. He tapped his fingers nervously on the dashboard. _Where is he?_ He pondered. _He should have been here 10 minutes ago. I'm beginning to wonder if he's even coming!_

The sharp screeching of tires alerted the agent. The door to a distant vehicle opened and slammed shut; a German Shepherd made his way over a few moments later. "Danger Mouse!"

DM stood, revealing his more casual attire. Yet again, he had forgone his usual uniform for a more relaxed look- namely, a loose brown sweater and a beige pair of pants. "Judas," he answered.

A confident smile crossed the pooch's face as he approached the agent. "You have what I'm looking for?" he inquired.

Danger Mouse nodded, holding up the suitcase. "It's all in there," he assured. "Count it if you wish."

Quickly, Judas snatched the suitcase away from DM and opened it up. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, flipping through the pound notes. "Good, good."

At that moment, the suitcase slammed shut, and the agent brought it back into his own waiting arms. He stared deep into the pooch's eyes, not taking his gaze off him.

It was then that Judas thought of something he hadn't before. "Hold on a second," he grumbled. "Why are you offering me this money anyway?"

"I wasn't offering you money, now was I?" Danger Mouse reminded. "I simply told you that I was going to give you something you really needed; I assumed the first thing that would come to your mind was the 100 million pounds, so I brought it with me… as bait."

To say the least, Judas was both startled and confused. "Bait?" he repeated.

Nodding, DM came closer to Judas. "What you really need, Judas, is a prison term," he snapped. "That seems to be the only way you'll snap out of this daydream you're living in."

Judas scoffed. "What if I never snap out of it?" he questioned. "What are you gonna do then, huh?"

The agent sighed. "At least you'll be exactly where you need to be," he remarked. "It will be a big disappointment for your friends and family, though."

The pooch snorted. "What friends?" he spat.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Danger Mouse kept a straight face. "I see what's happened," he murmured. "So, the Baron's convinced you using pity. Poor pup- you grew up in a wonderful family with both parents and three younger brothers. Those friends you had years ago must have been good chaps; otherwise you wouldn't have been so loyal to them. And what about the _other_ people in your life: those who influenced you, and those you influenced?"

A flurry of memories came back to Judas. Images of his parents, brothers, neighbors, classmates, and friends poured into his mind. Sadly, it was too much for him to take. "Stop it, stop it, **stop it!**" he barked. "I don't know where you got all that, but I'll make sure you never have to remind me again!"

The German Shepherd launched himself forward, intending to knock down the White Wonder. Fortunately, the mouse dodged, and his former recruit hit the _Mark III _instead.

DM gasped for breath as he sprinted out of Hyde Park, carrying the briefcase under his arm. "I have to get to a safe place," he muttered. "Someplace where Judas and I can work this out…" An idea suddenly came to mind; all he needed was a quick way to get to the British Museum…

* * *

Back at Squawkencluck's laboratory, Kitty strode quietly through the halls. She had her coat and her purse, and she was just about ready to head back to her HQ-funded flat. There was still something, though, that didn't sit well with her.

As Kitty made her way down the hallway, her two natures fought viciously- the one a careful professional, the other a compassionate caretaker. They both had their priorities on the concerns of other, but the question was who: the people and their safety, or Butch and his well-being?

Suddenly, Kitty stopped in the middle of the hallway. She dropped her things and buried her face in her hands. "This is ridiculous!" she cried. "Who am I to choose between everyone's safety?? There has to be a way to do this, so everyone wins!" She sighed heavily. "I wish there was a prison I could send him to, with top-notch security and an expert medical staff."

It was then that an idea came to the puma's mind. "That's it," she mumbled. "I can do a search on the internet… yes, that might work…"

Quickly, Kitty turned around and ran back to Butch's room. _Don't worry, Butch, _she thought. _I'll make sure you get to a place you **really** need to be… you'll be out of here in no time!_

After an exhaustive run through the halls and stairwells, Kitty finally came to Butch's room. She fiddled with her keys for a moment, and opened the door to reveal a surprising discovery- Butch was gone!

Shocked, Kitty searched the room for any trace of the German Shepherd or his escape. Sadly, there was none to be found; even his clothes had disappeared!

Needless to say, this was only making the situation worse for Kitty. "What to do, what to do…" she said to herself, trying to think of a plausible answer. "Professor Squawkencluck! I need his help!" With that, she darted out of the room in search for the professor…

* * *

Danger Mouse hurried down the hallways of the British Museum. He had contacted an agency fellow working there, allowing him free entry.

DM sighed in frustration as he searched the halls. "I should have known it was a mistake to go unarmed," he growled, picking up a light fencing sword. "Well, I suppose this will have to do for now. Apart from my martial arts, this is the only other weapon I know how to use with little risk of a lethal blow."

Then, the agent heard something; it was a door, quite far off, slammed open with great force. _Drat! _He thought. _He's followed me here! I have to lure him out and get to Westminster…_

A familiar figure entered the room. "Oh, Danger Mouse!" he called out. "Your old recruit is here to help you out!" He scoffed and muttered, "Help him out of his misery."

It was then that the White Wonder was struck with an idea. He knocked over a nearby display, to catch the pooch's attention, and sprinted for the back door. "To use an old childish phrase," he commented as he opened the door, "you'll have to catch me first!"

Judas smirked, grabbing a dagger that had fallen on the floor. "Fine by me!" he shouted, following DM outside.

As the agent darted down the streets, holding the briefcase in one hand and the sword in the other, he carefully planned his route. He would stop occasionally and hide, to further taunt his pursuer, and even tossed out a few "compliments". Judas had little idea that he was doing exactly as Dm wanted him to.

Finally, after an exhaustive chase, Danger Mouse arrived in the courtyards of Westminster Abbey. _Well, here I am,_ he pondered. _Let's hope that advice Judas' friend gave me works out…_

The German Shepherd ran up to DM, panting in exhaustion. "All right, pal, that's it," he gasped. "I was gonna spare you for handing over the money, but since you had other ideas and caused me all this trouble, I'm starting to have second thoughts."

The agent briskly turned about. "I don't think you want to do that," he responded, gesturing to the building. "I know you, Judas, and if there's one thing I've found out about you, it's this- a church is more sacred to you than your own home."

Sneering, Judas came closer. "Says who?" he hissed.

Danger Mouse stared back at the pooch. "Only those that care about you," he remarked. "Your friends and family have always known that… and now, I do too." He paused, coming closer. "I don't know what the Baron told you, but chances are they were all lies. He could care less what happens to you, but there are those that would be heartbroken if anything happened to you- your parents, your brothers, your neighbors, your friends…"

"I have no friends!" Judas snapped. "Just, stop! Leave me alone! You don't even know who I am!"

DM dropped the sword and briefcase, stepped forward, and grasped Judas' shoulders. "Judas, stop torturing yourself!" he ordered. "This is not who you are!"

There was a moment of silence. Neither the agent or the henchman spoke.

Suddenly, Judas thrust his hand up and grabbed the White Wonder by the throat. "I don't care," he growled. "Only I know what's best for me; after all, no one else is going to look out for me. Besides, I like what I've become…"

A distant chime could be heard. Farther off, Big Ben sounded the hour, creating a more eerie scene.

The sound alerted Judas, who in turn looked up. He saw the grand Westminster Abbey, a fine piece of architecture and a magnificent church. There was something about it that caught his attention…

Then, without warning, Judas froze. His eyes opened wide and every muscle in his body tightened. Soon after they loosened up, and his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground.

Needless to say, the whole situation was quite unusual for Danger Mouse. He checked Judas' pulse; he was still alive, but unconscious. What knocked him out, however, he had no clue.

After a moment of thought, DM punched a code into his wristwatch, signaling the _Mark III_ to come by and pick them up. He needed to get Judas to Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory for a quick exam…

* * *

Speaking of Professor Squawkencluck, he was having a dilemma of his own. He was in the lab's underground garage, stuffing an oversized object into the boot of his car. "_Ach_, _gudnezz_!" he shouted. "Next time _zhis_ happens, I am checking _fur veight_!"

The door at the opposite end of the garage shot open. "Professor!" a feminine voice called out. "Professor! We have an emergency!"

Startled, the professor shoved the remainder of the object into the car and closed the door, just as his assistant flipped on the light-switch. "_Ja, Mizz _Cougara?" he inquired, quickly wiping the sweat off his brow.

Upon spotting the professor, Kitty ran over, a shocked look upon her face. "Professor! Thank goodness!" she cried. "It's terrible- I went back to Butch's room to check up on him, and he's gone! No trace of him or anything!"

Professor Squawkencluck chuckled lightly, loosening his collar. "_Iz zhat zo_?" he queried. "_Vell, _rest _azzured zhat _I _vill_ have _ze_ matter _zorted_ out _zoon _enough."

Nodding, Kitty glanced over the professor's shoulder. The back door was pushed open slightly, and a piece of crumpled cloth hung out of the space. "Having trouble loading something into your car?" she inquired.

It was clear that the professor was becoming nervous. "Oh, no, no, no!" he answered. "_Iz_ nothing, really!"

"It's no problem, Professor," Kitty replied, opening up the boot. "You go ahead and-" She peeked inside, and gasped in disbelief

There sat Butch, fully clothed and wrapped in a white cloth. Thankfully, he was still asleep, but just the same…

Before Kitty could speak, the professor interrupted her. "_Mizz _Cougara, _pleaze_ let me explain," he pressed. "I know _zhis _may _zeem ztrange, boot _I have _miene_ reasons. I could _zee zhat _Butch _vas _having psychological effects from _ze zleeping_ medications. I _vas _transporting him to a special _vacility, vhere _he _vould _be more _zuited_."

The cougar sighed. "I understand, completely," she assured. "I've been having the same exact feelings." She walked over to the other side of the car. "Come on- let's go drop him off. I'll go with you, just in case."

The professor smiled and nodded. He closed the boot of the car, hopped into the driver's seat, and drove off with his assistant and their "friend"…

* * *

Stiletto wearily opened his eyes. He found himself lying on a bed, his head bandaged and his arm in a makeshift sling. He looked around the room; posters of various rock bands and country singers covered the walls, and the stereo at the opposite end of the room softly played an 80s rock melody. He remembered this room from somewhere…

Sabrina entered from an adjoining room, and saw that her friend was awake. "Good, you're up," she commented. "You looked pretty bad when I found you under all those boxes. Feeling any better?"

The henchcrow nodded slowly. "Am now," he replied.

Smiling, Sabrina walked over and sat down with her friend on the bed. "Just relax for now," she advised. "The Baron doesn't know about this, so we'd better keep quiet about it. Besides, with the damage you took, stress is the last thing you need."

Still, Stiletto felt uneasy. He struggled to stand, despite Sabrina's weight holding him down. "Sabrina!" he griped. "What-a of Judas??"

"Don't worry about him," Sabrina answered, gently pushing Stiletto back down on the bed. "I've taken care of it." She smiled and added, "Now, look, I managed to sneak some food from the market. You want anything?"

At that moment, a knock came to the door. Sabrina tilted her head and stood. "Who is it?" she inquired.

The door opened, and a familiar fox stepped inside. "The deed is done," he remarked. "Judas is no longer among us."

Shocked, Stiletto leaned up from the bed. "Angelino!" he snapped.

Rolling her eyes, Sabrina put her hand on Stiletto's shoulder. "Would you calm down?" she reprimanded. "He's on our side this time. I talked to him about getting rid of Judas."

Angelino smirked. "And so I did," he responded, holding out a briefcase. "I also managed to find this- a suitcase with the missing 100 million pounds."

The female feline grinned. "Perfect," she replied. "Hold onto that for now; Stiletto needs a few days to recuperate."

The fox laughed. "Oh, I don't think so," he commented. "You see, the Baron likes a speedy recovery, but only if it benefits him. Once I hand over the briefcase, he's going to launch our big heist on Fort Knox. With the major wealth of England in our hands, their only hope left is the compassionate Americans, and once the vault is cleaned out, we'll have Great Britain under our control… and a good portion of the United States as well."

Sabrina growled. "Angelino, don't you dare!" she barked.

The henchfox chuckled. "And what are you going to do about it?" he asked. "Tell the Baron to put his whole operation on hold just so your boyfriend can get better?"

Helpless, Sabrina sneered as she sat back down with Stiletto. "You have no heart, Angelino," she hissed.

A wide grin crossed Angelino's snout as he sauntered out of the room. "It's a good thing, too," he spat. "Otherwise I'd be in the same mess as Judas…"

* * *

Judas opened his eyes. "Wha… what happened?" he muttered. "What happened to me?"

It was then that Judas made an unusual discovery. This place he was in… he wasn't lying down on anything, nor was he floating. His body was hanging in an open space devoid of color, texture, shape, and size. Quite frankly, he had no clue where he was.

This situation unnerved the pooch. "Hello?" he said. "Hello? Anyone here? Where am I? What's happening?"

Suddenly, a bold voice spoke to Judas. It was a voice his ears were unfamiliar with… and yet he knew who it was just the same. _"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:_

_"A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,_

_"A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,_

_"A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."_

To say the least, Judas was stunned. Those words… they were talking about him. He had become a devious conceited jerk; he hadn't been afraid to do anything, regardless of who got hurt along the way. He had become a model henchman.

****

"I like what I've become."

Those words- his own words- echoed in Judas' mind. "What I've become," he murmured, staring down at his own hands. "What have I become?"

****

"There are those that would be heartbroken if anything happened to you- your parents, your brothers, your neighbors, your friends…"

That remark also stuck out in the pooch's mind. How could he have forgotten his own next-of-kin? He was lucky to have been raised in a family with both parents, with a very happy marriage, and three brothers he (usually) liked having around. As far as friends… well, he did have a bit of bad luck on occasion, but all the friends he did make were true to him, as he had always been to them. How could he forsake them?

A searing pain wrapped itself around Judas' chest; he felt like his heart was being eaten away. "I'm sorry!" he cried out, falling to his knees. "I'm so sorry! Please… tell me there's something I can do! … I wanna change back! Change me back!"

Yet again the voice spoke to Judas. _"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother;_

_"Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck._

_"When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee."_

Judas stood there, almost stunned. That time he spent as a criminal… he had gone against all that his family and friends had taught him, and going back to the way he was fairly simple. He knew he would be forgiven, and he could work everything else out. All he needed was a second chance… and that's exactly what he was going to get.

The pooch smiled. "Thanks," he replied. "I'll keep all that in mind…"

* * *

Danger Mouse steered the _Mark III_ through the foggy air. He was a few minutes from Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory; soon he would have to hand his former recruit over to the authorities.

Occasionally, the agent would glanced back at the sleeping pooch. He was certainly going to miss seeing that face around the pillar-pox… but in this case, he really had no other option.

Suddenly, the German Shepherd stirred from his slumber. "Ooh, ooh," he groaned. "My head… I feel like my brain was squeezed through a wringer…"

Surprised, the White Wonder turned his head slightly. "Judas?" he queried.

Stretching his arms back, Judas leaned up and forward. "DM, I just had the worst nightmare," he muttered. "I was Baron Greenback's henchman, and I did all this bad stuff… and then you came and tried to help me… and then…" He sighed, adding, "Let's just say it was a real eye-opener."

To say the least, DM was quite puzzled. "Wait a moment," he commented. "You thought all that was a dream?"

Slowly, Judas nodded in reply. "Yeah," he said. "Why?"

"Judas, that was no dream," Danger Mouse informed. "You **did** become one of Greenback's henchmen, you **did** cause a whole mess of trouble, and I **did** finally make you come to your senses." He shook his head. "You must have gotten a good bump on the head when you fell unconscious back at the Westminster courtyards."

A thought came to Judas' mind. "I fainted in Westminster?" he inquired. "Like, where that big church is?"

Rolling his eyes, DM nodded. "It's called Westminster Abbey, Judas," he remarked.

Excited, Judas grabbed the agent's shoulders. "Do you know what this means??" he cried. "I had a spiritual connection! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

Of course, the agent didn't buy that for one second. "Do you mean to tell me that God talked to you while you were unconscious?" he questioned.

Judas shrugged. "Hey, he's God- he can do anything," he answered. "Besides, what else could have caused me to fall over unconscious for no reason? In front of a church?"

It was then that Danger Mouse realized something- this really was Judas, the pooch he had known since his first day as a recruit. It wasn't an act; he could tell that he was serious about this spiritual connection, or whatever it was.

With a small smile, DM punched in a different set of coordinates. "I'm just glad you're alright," he responded. "Now, let's get back to Mayfair- I'll have Penfold make something special for you."

The pooch smiled back. "Thanks, pal," he replied, lying back in his seat. "I can't wait to go home…"

* * *

Meanwhile, yet another German Shepherd stirred from his unconsciousness. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes in the darkness. "What happened?" he muttered. "Where am I?"

"Professor, you never told me exactly where we're going," a soft feminine voice said.

Surprised, the black German Shepherd listened intently. _I remember that voice,_ he thought, _but… who is it, and why do I remember?_

Another voice joined in, this one older and with a strong German accent. "_Vell_, Kitty," he replied with a chuckle, "_zhis_ Butch fellow _iz_ going to _un_ special _vacility fur hiz_ harsh temperament. He _vill _be much happier in _zhis _place, _und_ he _zhould_ stay out of trouble, _ja_?"

The pooch, apparently Butch, couldn't believe what he was hearing. "They're gonna turn me in, to the Man??" he snapped. "Dang it- I've gotta get out of here!"

The female voice, Kitty, sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," she responded. "I hope he can finally relax after all he's been through. Call me a softy, but I was beginning to worry about Butch."

Butch stopped for a moment. "Kitty," he murmured. "Yeah, I remember her… she must have helped me out…" He closed his eyes and relaxed. "Well, I guess I could humor her for a while… it's the least I can do."

After a while, the older voice spoke again. "_Vhat_ is wrong, _Mizz_ Cougara?" he asked. "You don't _zeem _very happy."

Kitty groaned. "I just hope Greenback doesn't get word of this," she admitted. "After everything that's happened with Judas, I don't want him getting roped into the Baron's schemes."

Taking that thought to mind, Butch finally remembered. "Oh, right," he remarked. "Now I remember- I was supposed to help out Baron Greenback with his world domination scheme. I wonder how far he's gotten without me…"

The older voice laughed. "I _vouldn't vorry _about it," he commented. "_Ze_ Baron _zhought zhat _Judas _vas _Butch, _fur un gud _long _vile_! He might make _himzelf_ to be _shmart, boot ve _know _zhat iz _not _ze_ case!"

To say the least, Butch was furious. "He thought someone else was me??" he spat. "Why that lousy, two-timing…" He growled viciously. "That's it! I'm outta here!"

Quickly, Butch flipped his body over. He fussed with the wires and switches, until the door to the boot of the car swung open. He swung one leg onto the bumper and jumped out of the car, rolling down the road at a great speed.

After he had taken a moment to situate himself (and stand on his own two feet, something he hadn't done in almost 2 months), Butch brushed himself off and looked in the distance. "Well, at least London is only a few kilometers away," he muttered, shrugging. "I'd better start running; the next town I get to, I'm gonna need to hijack a car if I'm gonna get to Heathrow airport…"

* * *

The next day, a new feeling swept over Mayfair. A feeling of great relief, you might say.

Judas lay sprawled on the couch, fast asleep. Last night, Danger Mouse let him do (basically) whatever his little canine brain wanted. So, he spent the night watching TV, playing video games, and gorging on leftover food in the refrigerator.

DM strolled into the parlor and stretched his arms. A small smile crossed his face as soon as he saw Judas. Normally, he wouldn't have let the pooch get away with such recklessness, but he had made an exception the other night.

Then, Penfold sauntered into the room. He took one look at the pooch, lying in his own mess, and shook his head. "Well, I should probably get the broom," he said, walking into the kitchen.

__

_Gives a new meaning to the phrase, "party animal," _the agent thought, gently nudging his recruit's shoulder. "Judas, wake up. It's morning."

Snorting a little, Judas wearily opened his eyes. "Hey, DM," he yawned. "How's it going?"

"Well, fine, thank you," Danger Mouse replied. "You'd better hurry up and get dressed, though- we'll probably have a lot to do today."

The pooch propped himself up on the couch. "What makes you say that?" he asked with another wide yawn.

Suddenly, the alarm went off. Yet another mission for the White Wonder!

The screen flickered on as DM and Judas hurried over. "Ah, Danger Mouse!" Colonel K addressed. "Good to see you up and about." He then saw Judas and gasped. "Good heavens!"

The agent chuckled. "Don't worry, colonel," he assured. "Judas has been… reformed, you could say."

Judas nodded in reply. "He's right," he agreed. "DM helped me to get rehabitulated… or whatever… and I had a spiritual connection, so I'm okay now." He grinned, signifying his well-being (and his childishness).

Colonel K sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," he muttered. "Anyway, we've recently gotten word that Baron Greenback has made his way to Fort Knox, planning to pilfer all the gold inside!"

Danger Mouse nodded. "We're on our way, colonel," he responded. "Over and out."

As the viewscreen flickered off, DM turned his head to the kitchen. "Hurry, Penfold!" he alerted. "The Colonel has us on a mission! We'd best change and get a move on!"

The agent and his recruit ran down the hall into their respective rooms to change, while Penfold stumbled out of the kitchen, cleaning utensils spilled all over the floor. "Ooh, carrots!" he squeaked, hurrying into his own room. "At this rate I'll never get this mess cleaned up!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at Fort Knox, it was total chaos. The Baron watched in satisfaction as the bound-and-gagged guards writhed beneath their ropes and his henchmen loaded the gold into several _Frog's Head Flyer_s. As a precaution, though, he had gone with them to oversee production, and kept the 10 billion pounds close.

Stiletto struggled to push his cart of gold along. He hadn't fully recovered from his previous injuries, but even if he hadn't this was still a heavy load to bear. He complied anyway, at the risk of Baron Greenback's wrath.

Sabrina watched her friend carefully, as she too pushed her own cart of gold. She would have rather had him rest, but she knew they had to do as they were told, or else. So, instead, she kept him in her sight, and helped whenever she needed to.

At the helm of the ground operation was none other than the cunning fox himself, Angelino. "Hey, you two!" he snapped. "Keep it moving! We gotta get out of here as soon as possible!"

The female feline sneered. "If Greenback weren't watching us," she growled under her breath, "I'd rip his throat out right now."

"What was that?" Angelino spat.

There was silence between Sabrina and Angelino. He was expecting an answer; she wasn't about to give him one. Stiletto, though, stared back at them, shaking his fist at the unruly henchfox.

Angelino scoffed at his fellow henchmen. He wasn't about to take their sass, not when the Baron had shown him a new kind of trust.

All the while, Baron Greenback laughed heartily as he stroked his pet caterpillar. "It's all coming together, Nero!" he shouted, holding up his pet. "The whole wealth of England is in my possession, and with the entire fortune of Fort Knox, there's no possible way the Americans can help- they'll be too busy fending for themselves!" He chuckled evilly, adding, "Soon, all of England will be mine, and the United States will eventually succumb as well. Then, other nations will begin to fall, and the world will be mine! **Mine!!**"

Suddenly, a yellow streak zipped through the sky, like a bolt of lightening. "What?" the Baron gasped. "It can't be!"

Sure enough, a familiar yellow car landed near the broken vault. Danger Mouse, Penfold, and Judas stepped out, ready to take on the fiendish foes. "Alright, Baron!" the agent ordered. "We demand to know what's going on here!"

Greenback gasped again, to see Judas had once again joined forces with the "witless wonder". "Judas??" he cried. "What are you doing?!"

Judas smirked. "Sorry, pal," he remarked. "Your tricks don't work on me anymore. I've been reformed, and there's not a dang thing you can do about that!"

Angered, Baron Greenback quickly found a way to display his aggression. "Stiletto! Sabrina! Angelino!" he yelled. "Get rid of those meddling agents, **now!**"

The fox chuckled. "With pleasure," he replied, with a tip of his hat.

As the three henchmen came closer, Judas noticed Stiletto's bad condition. "Woah, pal, what happened to you?" he commented, obviously having no clue what happened to the henchcrow. "Did you lose a bet with one of them bulls in Pamplona or what?"

Frustrated, Stiletto nearly launched himself at the unsuspecting pooch, had Sabrina not been there to hold him back. "You don't remember?" she inquired.

Clueless, Judas shook his head. "No," he said slowly. "Do I want to know?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Sabrina refused to look at him. "Maybe it's better if you don't," she answered.

Angelino rolled his eyes. "This is all beside the point!" he snapped, glaring at Danger Mouse. "This is the end for you, DM. We're already so close to world domination, and you're outnumbered 3 to 2… not including the hamster, for obvious reasons."

Of course, little Penfold wasn't about to take that. "Hey!" he squeaked.

"Penfold, shush!" DM demanded, gazing at the henchmen. "It seems as if we're evenly matched, considering Stiletto's poor condition." He smirked. "Just the same, we could all put an end to this operation quickly enough."

Shaking his head, Angelino snapped his fingers. "So what if you take us?" he questioned. "The Baron is still getting his gold, and you can't be in both places at the same time, now can you?"

A new voice shouted out from the distance. "Greenback!"

The heroes and the henchmen looked off in the distance. A black German Shepherd came into view, his sunglasses tilting over his eyes and riding a motorcycle. He rode over to the ransacked vault and parked his vehicle, approaching the small crowd of onlookers. "Hope I'm not too late for the party," he remarked.

Quickly, Judas ran behind the agent and ducked. "It's Butch," he whimpered.

Butch turned his head to see Danger Mouse, Penfold, and Judas at one end of the scene, with Stiletto, Sabrina, and Angelino at the other end. "About time you showed up," he spat. "I'm here to help you guys out."

The fox sighed in relief. "That's great," he commented. "You wanna start loading some gold, or do you wanna help eliminate Danger Mouse?"

The black German Shepherd laughed. "I think you got it all wrong, pal," he chuckled, walking over the agent. "**These** are the guys I'm helping."

Baron Greenback almost keeled over upon hearing that. "**No!**" he cried. "Butch, what are you doing?? Don't you know who you're fighting for?!"

Growling, Butch removed his sunglasses and gave the Baron a truly menacing look. "Shut it!" he spat. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? You couldn't even tell me from an impostor??"

Before Greenback could explain, Butch interrupted. "No, I don't wanna know!" he barked. "I don't wanna know why you could just use me like that! Do you know what I went through the past two months?? I was forced to sleep in a lab bed, and you didn't bother to find that out and come get me?!" He scoffed, adding, "You know, maybe it's better that we never did business- none of my other bosses would have turned on me like that. They obviously know me better than you do."

Slowly, the three henchmen began backing off. Apparently, this guy was angrier than a raging bull, and none of them were about to take chances with him!

However, Butch was more clever than that. "Stop right there, you two!" he snapped. "Come here and turn around, and put your hands up where I can see them." He reached inside his jacket threateningly. "You don't wanna know what I can do if you don't do what I say."

The henchmen complied, turning around and walking back, with their hands raised in the air. Stiletto and Sabrina gave Angelino a harsh sidelong look; they had their reasons, of course.

Glancing at the heroes, Butch gestured to the _Frog's Head Flyers_. "You should get going," he advised. "The Baron's likely to run off if you don't catch him now."

Although he would have rather stayed and asked questions, Danger Mouse knew he had a job to do. "Come on," he said, running into the biggest _Frog's Head Flyer_. "I'll handle Baron Greenback; you two look for the stolen 10 billion pounds!"

* * *

After a while, thousands of people made their way to the scene at Fort Knox- mainly the police, the FBI, and the CIA. Danger Mouse and Butch stuck around to explain things to the authorities, while Judas and Penfold busied themselves counting the stolen currency. Of course, the Baron and his henchmen had all fled the scene too quickly, but there was already a search team working on it, not to mention all the evidence left behind.

DM walked off with Butch. "Thanks for the help," he told the pooch. "I have to ask, though- why did you bother helping us? You knew that you put yourself in personal risk."

The black German Shepherd shrugged. "That Baron was a total jerk to me," he responded. "What else was I supposed to do?" He grinned. "Besides, I had to do something in return for my angel."

Of course, this puzzled the agent. "Your… angel?" he repeated. _Good grief- first, Judas' "spiritual encounter" or whatever it was, and now this! Am I missing something here??_

Before Butch could explain, Penfold and Judas ran over. "Chief!" the hamster gasped. "We've made a shocking discovery!"

Danger Mouse nodded. "Yes, what's that?" he inquired.

"The money," Judas replied. "There was something wrong… about 100 million doll- I mean, **pounds**, was counterfeit! All fake!"

Chuckling, DM patted his recruit on the back. "That must have been my fault, Judas," he explained. "The suitcase I offered you at Hyde Park did have 100 million pounds… I never said they were all real, though." He laughed again. "The real 100 million pounds should be safe at the flat, and now that all this is over, we can return that and the other 9.9 billion pounds to the patrons of England."

It was then that Butch stepped in. "Wait- you're Judas?" he asked.

Judas nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said, hoping that he'd still be alive after the encounter.

Butch smirked. "So, you're the guy that fooled Greenback," he commented, rubbing his hand on Judas' head. "Nice job, kid, but don't try it again- that kind of business can get you in trouble."

An awkward smile crossed Judas' face. "Yeah," he said again.

Shaking his head, Butch looked over the three heroes one more time. "Well, it's been great, but I gotta jet," he remarked, walking over to his motorcycle. "By the way, DM- there's some broad at the agency named Kitty, if I'm not mistaken. Tell her I said thanks, for everything." With that, he flipped down his shades and drive off into the distance.

Penfold stood there, a tad puzzled. "Cor, what just happened?" he queried.

The recruit shrugged, following the agent back to their car. "I dunno, Penfold," he responded. "I dunno…"

* * *

Late that night, Butch rode up to a secluded warehouse. He parked his vehicle and stepped inside, approaching a dimly-lit desk at the far end of the room. "Yo, pops!" he snapped. "What's the deal with Greenback? I've been out for two months, and that sucker doesn't even bother to find out where I've been!"

The leather chair behind the desk turned around, revealing the face of a disappointed bulldog in a fine Italian suit. "What a shame," he replied in a strong Brooklyn accent, shaking the ashes off his cigar. "Oh, well- the Dogfather has other ways…"

* * *

****

THE END (finally!)


End file.
